Against his former team, Donovan Smith produced a smashing PBA comeback game and his current squad, Converge, stayed in the mix in the playoffs chase.
With Smith spelling the big difference against import-less Phoenix, the FiberXers rolled to an important 130-103 rout in the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The 6-foot-10 Smith came like a breath of fresh air for Converge, which at 4-6 moved half a game behind the squads in the fringes of the Magic 8 – San Miguel Beer (4-5) and Magnolia (4-5).
The FiberXers had struggled with the lack of firepower during their time with the defensive-centric Kylor Kelley, and quickly Smith filled up such offensive slack, asserting himself amid the absence of Phoenix counterpart James Dickey III due to sprain injury.
Smith posted 32 points on a 12-of-20 clip, 12 rebounds and three blocks versus the Fuel Masters (5-4), the very team he reinforced in the same tournament last season.
Converge’s locals surrounded Smith with solid performances – Alec Stockton with 16, Justine Baltazar with 15-14, Justin Arana with 13-9-5 and Juan Gomez de Liaño with13-8-4.
‘Naging mabilis po ang desisyon (to bring Smith vice Kelley), after nung last game namin,’ said Pineda, noting Kelley’s meager four-point, nine-rebound outing against TNT. ‘Talagang kailangan nang magpalit lalo na we’re in a do-or-die situation. Kailangan namin ‘yung contribution ng import talaga.’
Later, streaking Barangay Ginebra clinched a Last-8 ticket after going 7-2 via a 119-107 dispatching of skidding Titan (2-7).
Justin Brownlee (35-9), RJ Abarrientos (25), Troy Rosario (12-13) and Scottie Thompson (12-9-9) shone as the Japeth Aguilar-less Gin Kings made it five in a row and joined Rain or Shine (8-1) and NLEX (7-2) into the next phase.